New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-06
MIR. CHAMBERLAIN.
HIS POSITION IN ENGLISH POLITICS AND
: SbME PERSONAL fbAffs.

Ay,}r. IN English publ,c life that 1t may not be
easy to say anything about him. 1t is the less
EASY for me because have written great deal
about him already. send you. however, not a
biography OF any attempt at complete account OF
this very interesting parsonage, but casual notes
enough to fill the column sou perhaps expect. lie
now goes among you as Her Majesty 3
Penipotentiary and that Is, at any rate, totally
now character for the statesman whom great
portion of the Liberal party have been wont to
call "Our joe" You have heard Ii
said, very fooshly, that this mission was
meant to take him out Of politics.
fdare say II will take him out Of politics while he
Is in America; not longer. He does not 90 there to
discuss Home Rule. The IRISH, if a cable dispatch
may be believed. think he ouRht not to discuss the
fisheries question because he not a convert. like
Mr. Gladstone, to Mr.. Parners views about govern
Ing Ireland. That is notion which has the merit
of originality. When the contest is over they Will
do him the ustice they deny him now. He was
friend to Ireland long before some Of the noisiest
she now has lifted their voices for her, He Is not
less her friend because he adhcres TO his ideas
and has his own opinions about the policy that
ought TO govern her relations with England.
America fancy, is liberal enough to accept Mr..
Chamberlain on his merits: and to hear what ne
has to say on mackerel. and welcome him for what
he is without complaining Of what he Is not.
He is In fact, the most American of Englishmen.
Probably he would not admit it. but it is
true rs you will soon find out for
yourselves. Tho quality which differentiates
Americans and English is and that
Is what Mr.. Chamberlain has With most Eng
lishmen the fact that thing exists Is a reason
why it should continue to exist. " 1t IS the GUS
tOm"-that is the final answer to every CRITICISM
MIR Chamberlain is the foremost man Of that small
body of Englishmen who decline tc be satisfied
nj hot
his present differences may be with the GladstoDian
wing of the Liberal party. He is tic real leader of
The English Democracy. Mr.. Gladstonci Ger
1ainly not. Mr.. Gladstone has been going through
O series of conversions to beliefs and principles
which Mr. Chamberlain has held since he entered
public life
He is Radical and his Radcalsm is what the
word Itself impeS-it goes to the roots of things.
On more questions than one MI Chamberlain has
shown only too great readiness to tear down the
tree in order TO sec what the roots were like. He
preached some pernicious doctrines. no Doubt pre-
emincntly pernicous was his doctrine of Ransom.
He does not always seem to have thought out his
subject But he is penetrated saturated with faith
In the RICH eOusneSs of the idea he has esponsed.
Enemies have accused him of ambition, Of inter
rsted motives of trying to suppant Mr. Gladstone
of know not what. Wen, used to diff'r strongly
from Nj Chamberlain when thought him drift
Ing toward Socialism, bu; never doubted hi SIN
cerlty or his diSinterest elness. know no English
man III pubic lifs whom think more sincere.
Perhaps. as has been SAID bafore now. has great
fault as a leader is impateucc. He has such
horror NOT to say hatred of abuses that he can toll
crate no delay IN remedying them. If you asked
him Won mlgnt find he thinks the Constitution of
the United States itself too conservative nstrn-
ment. Bat what he has sought t. give TO his own
country has been III great part such reforms as
would bring il luto liue with America-uniycr,ai
suffrage. free schools. democratic local
government, religious equality, and the
like. And until these fundamental reforms
have been achieved he wants to run the egisat
i've machine at full speed. lie Amercanized Eng
Iish politics IN one sense about which opinions may
be divided. lie introduced the If he didn't
introduce it, he established 1t and made it the
power it has since become They tainted him with
it only the other day the one man power, some
body called it, and Mr.. Chamberlain was the one
man. He might be forgiven that and much else If
he would but reconsider some of his notions about
property and persuade himself that landlord has
some ightS which a tenant and society IN general
are bound to respect. 1t is odd fate which makes
him at this moment the bulwark of the landlord
sy stem in Ireland
Few men have gained such reputation ad-
miuistrators or heads of departments. single
story will show what is thought of him. One Of
the permanent officials Of a great department Of
which hr. Chamberlain has been the Parliamentary
chef once told re this e We used to think
selves lucky If we got back set of papers from
our presidents in two thIee weeks Now every
thing is returned within twenty -four hours" And
another friend who knows MI Chambcrlains
habits told me that he went to bed TIL he
had cleared off the days work no matter how
heavy il might be- He Just ready TO sit
down toa BUDGET Of papers after dinner rs before.
He takes 10 exercise, smokes fifteen cigars day,
works fifteen hours Of the twenty -four.
These are facts for the American Psychologist to
med tate upon.
strongly advise you to get a speech from Mr..
Chamberlain If yOu can. He viii not talk politics.
lie may talk something else. He IS, however. at
his best a militant mood best in great debate
IN the House. or IN presence OF great audience
half hostile Perhlps of Irish friends
would supply the half. He speaks IN these
days in the House except to an accompaniment Of
Irish nterrupions and nothing shows him to better
adv antage than this state Of things. His cool
readiness Of repartee never fails him. nor his TEN
per. Mr. Gladstone once said that III his time he
had known three in the House of Commons
who always said exactly what they meant
and no more. The three Lord Palmerston,
Mr.. Pane and Mr.. Chamberlain He take
blows as well as give them. Mr. Gadstone's at
tack him in the closing speech of the Home Rule
debate lost ear borEe with stocism that
Mr.. Gladstone himself might have envIed, and per
haps did. You would never have guessed from his
placid face and unrull ID cOmposure of
manner that he the object OF all
that elaborate inveciiye On the plat |
form in tine House he meets running fire |
of questions tannts, oburgaIons insults even, |
with tranquility which enables him to frame
a rctor before the storm There greater
orators. There is no berter dcbater man IN |
England who surpasses him in the power of lucId, !
elective speaking II is now many years since he !
passed out of the second rank into the front rank.
Tie American interviewer, whatever else he may |
La I,lnt of AIR nil hat